Tony Rose, Publisher and CEO of Phoenix, Arizona based, Amber Communications Group, Inc. (ACGI), has been tapped to be a member of the 40th NAACP Image Awards’ Literary Sub-committee in the category of Non-Fiction Literature. AGCI is the nation's largest African American Book Publisher of Self-Help Books and Music Biographies.Rose will join Maya Angelou, New York Times and Essence Magazine Best-Selling Author, poet, educator, historian, and activist; E. Lynn Harris, former NAACP Image Award Nominee and New York Times, Essence Magazine Best-Selling Author and Gladys Smiley Bell, past President of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) and Library Director at Hampton University and other notables from the literary world on the sub-committee, whose charge is to review, evaluate and vote on submitted literary projects for consideration in their assigned category and will conclude with the top five projects in each category, which will be announced as nominees on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, at the 40th NAACP Image Awards’ Nominees Press Conference. The entire membership of the NAACP will then get a chance to vote for the winners, which will be announced at The 40th Anniversary Image Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 12, 2009, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA., hosted by Academy Award winner, Halle Berry and critically acclaimed screenwriter/ actor/director Tyler Perry. There are 53 competitive categories in the fields of motion picture, television, recording and literature.Tony Rose stated, “I am honored to be a part of the 40th NAACP Image Awards during the NAACP’s Centennial (100th year) Anniversary. In 1909, the NAACP commenced what has become its legacy of fighting legal battles to win social justice for African-Americans so that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of the United States of America. In particular, I am deeply moved by the significance of these very important events being embellished by the election on November 4, 2008 and the inauguration of the first African American President of the United States of America on January 21, 2009."Having been recognized for his social beliefs and diligence to promote literacy to the African American community, Mr. Rose has received numerous honors and awards since he founded ACGI in 1998, including: The Harlem Book Fair "Phillis Wheatley Book Award"; The BlackBoard Bestseller's African-American Publisher of the Year Award; The Chicago Black Book Fair and Conference Independent Publisher/Press Award; The American Library Association "Reluctant Reader" Award and The Black Caucus of The American Library Association (BCALA) "Appreciation Award."In addition, Mr. Rose will be presented by the City of Boston - Boston City Council, an Official Resolution, for writing "Before the Legend: The Rise of New Kids On The Block and..A Guy Named Maurice Starr-The Early Years, (An Unathorized Biography)” Colossus Books, based on a true story that happened in the African American Community of Roxbury, Massachusetts. Born and raised in the Whittier St. Housing Projects, Roxbury/Boston, Mass., Tony Rose, during the eighties, held production deals with Virgin Records, Atlantic Records and Pavilion/CBS/Sony Records through his Solid Platinum Records and Productions, recording, producing and licensing numerous top ten records and albums throughout the world. His thirty year friendship and musical collaborations with Maurice Starr resulted in albums produced by Rose sharing the charts with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for six consecutive months in 1983 in the number one, two and three positions throughout the world, and receiving two Ampex Golden Reel Awards for recording and engineering in his Boston based Hit City Recording Studio, New Kids On The Block, Christmas Album titled "Merry, Merry Christmas" in 1989.The Official Resolution will be presented to Tony Rose in a ceremony at Boston City Hall, on January 14th, 2009, 11:30am by Boston City Councilor, Charles C. Yancey. Invitees will include many Boston notables.Mr. Rose is also Co-Founder of the Roxbury/Boston Harlem Book Fair and the Executive Director-Co-Founder of The African American Pavilion at BookExpo America.Charles Calvin Yancey, a life-long resident of Boston, Massachusetts was elected in 1983 to the Boston City Council where he began serving his thirteenth term in office in 2007. The annual Charles C. Yancey Book Fair has provided over 250 thousand free books for 40,000 Boston children since its inception in February 1987.For further information, contact: Tony Rose at amberbk@aol.com or 520-562-6692Also visit www.amberbooks.com .